It has been long known to use cable ties to support electrical cables, wires, conduits or other elongate articles running along a panel, wall, ceiling or other structural member. Cable ties may be looped around the cable and may be secured to the panel so as to support the cables thereagainst. As may be appreciated, the cable supported in this manner is supported directly against the panel surface so that the cable runs in contact with the panel therealong.
In certain situations, it may be desirable to space the cable away from the panel. The art has seen the use of cable spacers which are devices which may be interposed between the cables and a mounting structure to which the cables are supported. Typically, these spacers are used in combination with a support wire run between two fixed locations. Such use is commonplace in the communications industry where electrical signal cables, such as telephone cables, may be suspended from a support wire spanning two utility poles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,982 shows one example of spacers used to support and space a cable or bundle of cables from an overhead support wire. Multiple spacers of the type shown therein may be used in stacked relationship to vary the distance between the overhead support wire and the cables which are supported therefrom. A cable tie is interposed through the spacer(s) around the cable and the support wire. The cable tie suspends the cable from the support wire.
Attempts to use spacers of this type against flat planar panels such as walls and the like are limited in that the spacer must be positioned so that its lower surface is located against the panel and its upper surface, which supports the cable, is opposed thereto. Use in this manner is required as the cable tie must be interposed through the panel, the spacer and around the supported cable so as to secure both the cable and the spacer to the panel. Such limited use of the spacer of the type shown in the '982 patent greatly reduces mounting flexibility in that the cable support surface and the wall mounted surface must be on opposite sides of the spacer.
It is desirable to provide a spacer which may be used with a wall or other flat surface to secure a cable at multiple positions with respect thereto.